Combo Consolidation: How long before we see it in PVE?

[Shurrikhan]

The trouble with implementing it in PvE is because of all your different combo branches (Storm's Eye/Path, Rage of Halone/Royal Authority, Dancing Edge/Aeolean Edge/Shadow Fang, etc.). PvP actions work because they're oversimplified now.

While you could implement a combo string for each potential branch/situation that could cause confusion and overcompicate the idea. You'd honestly need to revamp combos in general to keep it simple.

I don't see why that would be the case. At present, a Ninja, for instance, would have:
- Mutilate
- Shadow Fang
- Dancing Edge
- Aeolian Edge
- Armor Crush

You'd simply be saving two keys by swapping to the finisher-based setup. No further simplification or adjustment required.

That said, alternatively, you could:
- Allow for actions to be used for variable effects in any sort of (soft) "combo" so that no skill is ever wasted, but that'd probably require too much nuance and possible variation for the typical player at this point, and aesthetic output would be more subject to optimal rotations (unless of course the animations themselves were also variable)...
or
- Create additional skills to fill out the otherwise missing slots if one were to create a dynamic slot system alike to:
1a. Spinning Edge
1b. Mutilate *
1c. <Throwing Daggers or a new skill>
2a. Gust Edge
2b. Shadow Fang *
2c. <Throwing Daggers or a new skill>
3a. Aeolian Edge
3b. Dancing Edge
3c. Armor Crush

(Or, axe Armor Crush and find a new way, if any, to sustain Huton, so that you only need two slots for all weaponskills +/- Throwing Daggers.)

EDIT: <For Monks>

Snip.

The only real issue Monk would face with dynamic slots is Perfect Balance. Otherwise you could simply have:
1 Bootshine
2 Dragon Kick
3 Arm of the Destroyer

1 True Strike
2 Twin Snakes
3 One-Ilm Punch

1 Snap Punch
2 Demolish
3 Rockbreaker

The issue then becomes how you again have all 9 skills near-simultaneously available during PB. Assuming decent enough an effective connection, this might be handled by bringing Form Shift into Monk/Pugilist skills earlier, and simply making it a non-animation oGCD during Perfect Balance, allowing for rapid cycling. With Form Shift as button 4 and Touch of Death as 5, starting per usual from Coeurl (c) [Raptor (r), Opo-opo (o); o>r>c です], a typical HW opener would then be something like:

c2, (o4, r4), c1, (o4, r4), c1, o2, r2, 5
Demolish, FSx2, Snap, FSx2, Snap, Dragon, Twin, Touch

There, now even with PB remaining a prevalent part of Monk gameplay, you still need only consume 3 slots for 9 skills.

(Or, alternatively, you could give reason and ability to use the 9 skills out of their presumed cycle, and you'd have reason to spend 9 slots on them (in my case, 1,2,3, Shift-1-2-3, Caps (rebound to r. Alt)-1,2,3).)